I Changed The Rules: Love Is Like Jazz, Part 2
by Stubby the Newsgirl
Summary: This is the second story in the Love Is Like Jazz Series. As Sadie and Swifty try to help Skittery, they begin to develop an unconventional friendship which turns into an even more unlikely love story.
1. Love Hurts

Author's Explanation:

Love is like Jazz. You make it up as you go along and you act as if you really know the song. But you don't, and you never will. So you flaunt your mistakes, and you make them until they were you. Love is like jazz. The same song a million times in different ways. "Strange Fruit" with and without wind chimes. It's divine. It's asinine. It's depressing, and it's almost entirely window dressing. But it'll do.

-Love is Like Jazz; The Magnetic Fields

I am a lover of Jazz music. I also love writing with a song in mind. And so, I decided to dedicate a series of fics with Jazz songs as the motivation and backdrop. This is the "Love Is Like Jazz" Series. Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!

* * *

I Changed the Rules  
Peter Cincotti 

Don't keep on asking where I've been  
I'm not some (girl) you discipline  
Stop that crying  
No use justifying  
Baby, I changed the rules.

Don't keep me waiting at the door  
I'm not some cat that you ignore  
Keep on whining, and I'll keep on declining  
Baby, I changed the rules.

You can't stop me from shooting the breeze  
I always say and do as I please  
But don't stop trying  
You know I'm gratifying  
Keep the pace  
You're in the race

You feel the heat right by my side  
Stay close, I'll take you for a ride  
Stimulating  
Really intoxicating  
Baby, I changed the rules

* * *

_Author's Notes: This is the second story in the "Love Is Like Jazz" Series. This story was inspired by Peter Cincotti's song, "I Changed the Rules." Sadie and Brown Sugar/Shug are characters that I created._

**I Changed The Rules  
**By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter One: Love Hurts

Swifty was tired to say the least. After a long morning of getting punched in the face by Skittery, and not being able to sell a single paper when he was with Sadie, he was ready for some food in his stomach.

In contrast, Sadie's morning had started out great. She had sold most of her papes, and as soon as she started selling with Swifty, papers were flying out of her hands as if they were airborne. She could tell that Swifty was feeling down and out, but she was also nosey and she wanted to know why Skittery punched him, so naturally, she suggested lunch.

Swifty and Sadie headed over to Pete's Tavern, and sat at a table. Swifty hadn't really ever been inside Pete's Tavern before, but it seemed to him that the independent, red-haired Sadie had frequented the place quite often.

A young woman, around their age came up to the table. She was mulatto; her hair was in tight black curls, and her hazel eyes were friendly. She smiled as soon as Sadie walked in.

"What'll you have today, Miss Sadie?" she asked coming up to their table.

"Oh, the usual. Shug, this is Swifty, he's a newsie. Swifty, this is Brown Sugar. They call her that because she's dark and sweet. She's the best waitress on this side of town," Sadie introduced them.

"Nice to meet you, Swifty is it?" Brown Sugar said with a smile. Swifty nodded.

"That's a pretty bad bruise you got there," she said pointing at his eye.

"Look, just get me a sarsaparilla and a hot dog," Swifty said, wanting people to stop talking about his shiner.

"Excuse me?" Brown Sugar asked with furrowed brows.

"Swifty, this ain't Tibby's," Sadie said rolling her eyes. "He'll have beef stew, throw in a roll as well," she said.

"Gotcha," the waitress said beginning to leave.

"Oh, and Shug, don't mind him. He's just a little sore from his shiner," Sadie called to the waitress.

Shug gave Swifty a wink and said, "My stew will cure that bad temper."

"Hey, I can order for myself, you know. Anyway, how'm I supposed to know they didn't have hot dogs?" Swifty said defensively as soon as Shug was out of sight.

Sadie thought it best to not tease him. It was obvious that he'd never been to Pete's before. "So, why'd Skittery punch you again?"

"I already told you, I don't know why," Swifty said in an annoyed tone.

"Think, what did you do or say right before he did it?" Sadie probed.

Swifty thought about it, and spoke slowly, "I mentioned that Poke wouldn't be selling with us anymore and that she and Blink would be partners, and then he just punched me."

"A sarsaparilla for Swifty, and a beer for Sadie," Brown Sugar said as she put their drinks on the table.

Sadie took a long drink of her beer, and sat thoughtfully for a while. Swifty looked down at his sarsaparilla and felt very lame. Not only had Sadie ordered for him, but she was also out drinking him.

"Hey, Shug, get me a beer as well! The same kind that Sadie's got!" Swifty called out.

Sadie rolled her eyes, took another drink, and thought some more. She finally asked, "Wasn't yesterday the first day that Poke and Blink sold together?"

Pocahontas, or Poke, for short, and Blink were a newly established couple in love. While Sadie didn't believe in love at first sight, she had to admit that they were a cute couple. Poke was a Native American with dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes, while Blink was the "American Dream" with fair skin, sandy blonde hair, and blue eyes. They were so different, and yet they seemed to fit together.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with me getting punched?" Swifty asked.

"Well, how did Skittery act?" Sadie asked.

"I don't know, I didn't sell with him," Swifty said.

"Why not?" Sadie asked.

"He was in a bad mood- you know, worse than usual. He told me to get lost, so I sold by myself," Swifty answered.

"Hm," was all that Sadie said. She took another long drink, and thought a moment more.

Skittery was usually moody, so it wouldn't surprise her if they hadn't sold together, on account of his moodiness. But Skittery wasn't usually violent, which persuaded her to believe that there was something more to the story.

Shug came by again, "Here's your beer," she said to Swifty with a hint of a laugh in her voice.

Swifty tried to imitate Sadie, but as soon as the sour, sharp taste hit his tongue, he screwed up his face, and forced himself to swallow it down.

"Bleh," he wretched, "how can you drink this stuff?" He grabbed his sarsaparilla and downed it.

Sadie shook her head, but smiled amusedly. "I know why Skittery punched you," she said.

"Yeah? Why?"

"Corned beef sandwich," Shug said, putting the order in front of Sadie. "And beef stew, with a roll," she said to Swifty handing him his bowl.

"He's sweet on Poke, but now that Blink's her guy, Skittery must be miserable. More than usual," Sadie said as the two began eating.

"What?" Swifty asked incredulously with bread in his mouth.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk when your mouth is full? Anyway, it's a classic case of unrequited love," Sadie said.

"But--what?" Swifty asked still not understanding.

As they ate, Sadie began to explain that Skittery liked Poke, and the reason that he was acting so erratic lately is because Blink and Poke were an item, and that Skittery was probably unhappy and jealous. After understanding the situation, Swifty felt motivated to do something to help his friend.

"Sadie, we gotta do something to help Skittery!" Swifty said.

"_We_?" asked Sadie skeptically.

Swifty sighed. He didn't want to admit that he needed help, but he knew Sadie was smarter than him when it came to these type of things.

"Have a heart, Sadie, and help me out with Skittery," Swifty finally said, pathetically.

It was Sadie's turn to sigh. She liked to know about all the goings-on concerning the newsies, but she didn't like to be a part of it. Fighting against her fierce independence, she finally gave in, but not without her own agenda in mind.

"I'll do it, but only if you pay for my lunch every day for the next week," she bargained.

Swifty had to think about it. A whole week's worth of lunch! He could barely afford his own lunch! But then he thought about his friend. Was his friendship with Skittery worth a week's worth of lunch? It was.

"Fine, but you better keep it at five cents or under!" Swifty said.

Pleased that Sadie had gotten things her way, she nodded in agreement. As if on cue, Brown Sugar came up to the table to see if they needed anything else.

"We're good, Shug. Just give the check to Swifty," Sadie said getting up.

"Mmm, hmm, I see," Shug said nodding her head.

"It ain't like that," Sadie shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Swifty couldn't really catch what was going on. He was too concentrated on counting out his money and reluctantly paying the bill.

"Come on, let's go," Sadie said, annoyed with Brown Sugar's suggestion. She began heading toward the exit.

"Uh- where are we going?" Swifty asked following her.

"Lodging House. We're going to see if Kloppman will take you delinquents back in," Sadie said opening the door.

"Hey, I'm not a-- OW!!!" Swifty was going to say "delinquent," but Sadie didn't hold the door, and it ended up hitting him in the face before he could finish his sentence.

"Love hurts," Brown Sugar said to him with a wink.

"What?!" Swifty asked wondering what she meant. He figured she might be talking about Skittery and his love for Poke. Swifty shook his head, then headed out to follow Sadie.


	2. With a Little Help From my Friends

_Author's Notes: Jules, Chatterbox, and Blondie are girl newsies that I created. They might not be seen for a while._

**I Changed The Rules  
**By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter Two: With A Little Help From My Friends

Kloppman looked over the books to check if all the newsies had paid for lodging from the night before. He had known most of the boys for a good while, but it was the girls that he didn't know so well. It had been chaotic enough when there were just boys in the lodging house, and then the city of Manhattan had decided to cut back on housing funds. And before Kloppman knew it, the city ended up combining a lot of the boys and girls lodging homes. The girls' lodging home had been demolished and the space was used to build a new sewing mill, and the boys' lodging home had been expanded to fit the displaced girls.

"Let's see, there's Jules, Chatterbox, Blondie…" Kloppman said aloud, going through his books trying to place the faces of the girls whose names he was looking at. He heard the bell on the door ring as it opened, and he looked up to see Swifty and a freckle-faced-red-headed girl with bright green eyes that he vaguely recognized.

"Whaddaya want?" Kloppman asked, narrowing his eyes at Swifty. Earlier that morning, Swifty and Skittery had gotten into a fight, which is one thing that Kloppman had no tolerance for. He had told them to get their things and leave, and while he expected them to come crawling back, he was in no mood to let them back in so easily.

Swifty opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't. He'd never seen Kloppman so angry before. For the first time ever, he felt intimidated by Kloppy.

Sadie nudged Swifty, but he just stood there like a statue.

"Mr. Kloppman, I'm Sadie O'Brien," she said speaking up.

"Looking for lodging?" Kloppman asked looking curiously from Sadie to Swifty.

"No. Actually, I'm here for Swifty's sake… and Skittery's too," Sadie said nudging Swifty again, to try to get him to say something.

"You his girl?" Kloppman asked, referring to Swifty. He couldn't help but be amused by the redhead's pushiness.

"NO!" both Sadie and Swifty exclaimed together. That had been the first word Swifty had said since they had entered the lodging house.

Kloppy's anger subsided as he chuckled at the pair.

"Alright, alright. So what do you wanna tell me?" Kloppman finally asked.

Together, Swifty and Sadie began to tell Kloppman the details of what happened without revealing Skittery's secret. Swifty promised that it would never happen again, but it was Sadie who really convinced Kloppy to let them back in.

"Mr. Kloppman, have you ever been in love?" Sadie asked him.

"A couple-a times, yeah," Kloppy admitted as a small smile began to form on his lips. His mind rested on his late wife.

"Well, you know what love does to people. It makes 'em go crazy! They can't think straight, you know? You've been in love before, so you should know what it's like," Sadie said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kloppman said, remembering what it was like to be young and in love.

"Well, doncha think it'd be fair to let this go, just this once?" Sadie asked.

Kloppman was silent for a moment. Swifty was on pins and needles waiting for Kloppy to answer.

"Okay, but just this once. You tell Skittery to watch it. I ain't in no mood to give second chances to hooligans," Kloppman said pointing his index finger in Swifty's face.

"Yes, sir," Swifty said solemnly.

"And Miss O'Brien, is it?" Kloppman said.

Sadie looked up at the old man's playful eyes.

"If you ever need any lodging, you know where to go," he said with a smile.

"Thanks, Mr. Kloppman," Sadie said smiling back.

"Swifty, you got a good girl by your side. Try not to screw things up, eh?" Kloppy said as the two began to exit.

Swifty and Sadie looked at each other skeptically.

_"The day Sadie ever becomes my girl is the day that hell will freeze over," _thought Swifty.

_"I'd rather stab my eyeballs out with a fork than let Swifty become my guy,"_ thought Sadie.

They both shook their heads and went out the door as Kloppman was still chuckling.

* * *

"Skittery!" Swifty called out. They were in Newsies Square, searching for the moody newsboy to tell him the good news. 

"Pink Long-john's for sale!" Sadie called out.

"What the hell, Sadie?" Swifty shook her head.

Before Sadie could smart off, someone called out, "Extra! Extra!"

Both of them turned to see Kid Blink with his ever-lovin' Poke by his side.

As soon as Poke saw Sadie, she came running towards her. Blink wondering why his woman had taken off, followed her.

"Sadie, why didn't you tell me?" Poke asked excitedly, as she grabbed Sadie's arms. Blink and Poke exchanged knowing looks.

"Tell you? Tell you what?" Sadie asked in confusion.

"That you're Swifty's girl, of course! Or, how do you put it? That he's _your guy_," Poke said.

"_What?!?!_" both Sadie and Swifty said together.

"You don't have to pretend anymore, we know. Skittery told us," Blink said.

"What did he tell you?" Swifty demanded to know.

"Yeah, what are you even talking about?" Sadie demanded.

"Maybe they didn't know," Blink said to Poke. Poke nodded.

"Swifty, the reason that Skittery punched you this morning is because he's in love with a girl. That girl is you, Sadie," Poke explained slowly.

"No, no, no! You've got it all wrong--" Swifty began to say.

"Skittery was jealous because you two are an item!" Blink interrupted. "I just don't know why you didn't tell anyone about Sadie sooner."

"No, see, Skittery's in love with-- OW!!!" Swifty was going to say "Poke", but Sadie knocked the wind out of him as she jabbed him, full force, in the stomach with her elbow.

"_Me_?! Skittery's in love with _me_?!" Sadie feigned shock.

"That's what we've been trying to say!" Blink said.

"No wonder, Swifty!" Sadie said trying to sound authentic. Swifty just looked at her confused, but played along.

"Oh… yeah," Swifty said unconvincingly, but fortunately Blink and Poke didn't notice.

"We were just looking for Skittery, actually," Sadie said.

"Well, we were in Central Park when we saw him," Blink answered.

"Yeah, you might wanna be careful, Swifty. He was still in a pretty bad mood," Poke said.

"Great! We'll leave you two lovebirds alone now," Sadie said grabbing Swifty's arm and dragging him in the direction of Central Park.

Blink and Poke watched the ridiculous looking couple.

"You know, I never thought that Swifty or Skittery would fall in love with a girl like Sadie," Blink said honestly.

"I never thought that a guy like you would fall for a girl like me," Poke shrugged.

"I could name a million reasons why," Blink smiled as he pulled Poke closer and gave her a tender kiss.

* * *

"You didn't have to hit me in the stomach like that," Swifty said angrily as soon as they had reached Central Park. 

"It was a reflex! Anyway, Blink woulda flipped out if you squealed that Skittery was sweet on Poke," Sadie said defensively.

"Well, I'll give you that, but what about slamming the door in my face?" Swifty asked frustratedly.

"I didn't slam it, I just forgot to hold it. Anyway, I wasn't just gonna stand there waiting at the door when we had other things to do," Sadie said.

"Hello? I was paying the bill!" Swifty yelled.

"Jeez, will ya quit whining already?" Sadie said shaking her head. She was about ready to give up on helping Swifty, when she spotted Skittery.

He was sitting on a bench, with a mess of papers at his feet. He looked confused and thoughtful at the same time.

"I'm not whining," Swifty said in a whiney voice.

"Skittery!" Sadie called out, walking over to the bench. Swifty looked in the direction that Sadie was walking and followed her.

Soon, Swifty and Sadie were standing directly in front of Skittery.

"Hey," Swifty said.

"Hey," Skittery said.

"Um, well, I'll be going now. I'll see you fellas in the morning. And don't forget that you owe me lunch for the rest of the week, Swifty." Sadie said heading off in a different direction. She knew that this would probably be a good time to leave the boys alone.

"So, what do you want?" Skittery asked looking down at his hands.

"Look, all of the crap that happened… just forget about it all," Swifty said.

Skittery looked up curiously.

"Kloppman's going to take us back in. Me and Sadie already talked to him," Swifty said.

"Talked to him?" Skittery asked.

"I know why you've been upset for the past couple-a days. Actually, Sadie was the one who figured it out," Swifty explained.

Skittery's face turned red, as he felt his anger rising.

"You got nothing to worry about. Kloppman doesn't know the details, and Poke and Blink… well, they think that all of this was because you liked Sadie," Swifty said quickly, hoping that Skittery wouldn't lash out at him again.

"_Sadie_?!" Skittery asked incredulously.

"I know. Who in their right mind would _ever_ like _that_ girl!" Swifty said shaking his head.

Skittery snorted. It was the closest thing to a laugh that he had managed for the past three days.

"Poke thought that I liked Sadie?" Skittery still couldn't believe it. He had been in love with Poke since the day he saw her standing at the distribution center, and what was obvious to Sadie and Swifty, she was never able to perceive it. She really didn't know him at all.

"I'm sorry," Swifty said, not really knowing what to say. "But at least you got shelter, and I don't blame you for being angry… though I still think I should be able to pay you back for this shiner," he indicated to his eye.

"I'm… I'm sorry about that. Thanks for talking to Kloppman and helping me out," Skittery said managing to form a small smile. Even though he had lost in love, at least he still had a friend.


	3. Not At All In Love

**I Changed the Rules  
**By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter Three: Not At All In Love

Even though they had resolved one conflict, Skittery really wasn't in any mood to "talk about his feelings." And Swifty, well, he didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. So the two newsboys decided to sell the rest of their papers, only speaking to call out a headline.

While Swifty wasn't the cleverest newsie on the block, he could see that Skittery was still miserable. If love made people that miserable, Swifty never wanted to be in love. As they sold the last of their papers, he vowed to himself that love would never make a fool out of him.

When the last paper was sold, the two walked together to the lodging house. Swifty tried to ignore the silence by listening to the sounds of the street. Soon enough, they were met by their leader, Jack Kelly who was standing in the entrance.

"Hey, fellas. I see you made up," Jack said cheerfully.

"Cowboy, maybe you should stop nosing around in other people's business," Skittery said brushing past Jack and going through the door.

"He's still in a bad mood?" Jack asked concernedly.

"Yep. Love stinks," Swifty nodded.

"But not for you!" Jack said as he punched him playfully in the arm.

"Huh?" Swifty asked.

"Aw, ya don't hafta play dumb anymore. Everyone knows about you and Sadie," Jack said with a laugh.

Swifty rolled his eyes. "We're just friends, for cryin' out loud!"

"That ain't what Chatterbox said," Jack said shaking his head.

"Chatterbox?!" Swifty said with disbelief. How did she even know about this whole mess?

"Yeah, she heard it from Poke, and she's been talking up a storm since," Jack said.

"Girls," Swifty muttered, shaking his head. He walked away from Jack toward the girls' side of the lodging house to give Chatterbox a piece of his mind.

"Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!" Jack called after him, and began to laugh.

* * *

Chatterbox was a newsgirl who was known for being a talker, as her name indicated. She loved to be the center of attention, and she loved to be in the middle of everything. At the moment she had a group of girls around her bunk as she began to tell them about the handsome new piano boy over at Medda's. She had lively brown eyes and dark brown hair that hung in curls. 

"How did he look?" Jules asked curiously.

"Well, his eyes were--"

"Chatterbox!" Swifty yelled interrupting the conversation and making his way toward her bunk.

All of the girls looked up.

"Well, hello there, Swifty. That's some shiner you got there," Chatterbox said with a smirk. The other girls giggled.

Swifty began to feel a bit uncomfortable because all the girls were staring. But it was better that all of them heard what he had to say.

"Shaddup about my eye, and all you girlies listen up," Swifty said scowling.

All of the girls were listening now.

"There ain't nothing between Sadie and me. We're just friends. Nothing more, end of story," Swifty said. Then he pointed at Chatterbox and tried to look menacing. "And you need to quit your gabbing!"

"Swifty, that's awfully sweet of you, looking out for Skittery and all, but Poke already told us what happened. You don't have to hide your love for Sadie anymore," Chatterbox said, clearly unfazed.

"I _don't_ love her!" Swifty said frustratedly.

"Sure, ya don't," Chatterbox said sarcastically as the girls began to laugh.

"AUGH!" Swifty yelled as he threw his arms into the air frustratedly.

The girls giggled as he stormed off to his bunk.

* * *

_Author's Note: _I apologize for leaving abandoning this story for sometime. I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I will try to get the ball rolling!!! Thanks for reading!!! 


	4. The Day After

**I Changed The Rules**

By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter Four: The Day After

"Sean, Samuel, Sadie! Time to get up!" Mrs. O'Brien called to her children.

Sadie was the first to get dressed and she groggily went to the washroom, which was shared by the tenants on the fourth floor. Sadie didn't have to wait very long for her turn. When she finished her morning toiletries, she went back to the family's small apartment.

"Good morning, lass," Mr. O'Brien said, giving her a kiss on the forehead as she entered.

"Morning, dad," Sadie said as she sat at the table. She grabbed a piece of toast and poured herself some coffee.

"Sean, Samuel! Get your arses out of bed!" Mrs. O'Brien yelled as she began setting breakfast on the table. Her two older brothers appeared from at the doorway of the room the three O'Brien children shared.

"We're up, we're up," Samuel said tiredly.

"Really, you two act like little boys. Sadie's only 15, and it seems that she's got more maturity than the both of you combined!" Mrs. O'Brien said with a sigh.

Sean was 18 and Samuel was 17. Sadie had two other older brothers, but they were married with families of their own. Sadie was the youngest and she was also the only girl of five children, which was why Sadie had developed such a thick skin.

"Well, Sadie doesn't have to do as much hard labor as we do," Sean said. The two boys worked for a Smithie. Most of their duties like pounding hot metals were exhausting.

"Selling papers is just as good an occupation as any! And at least Sadie doesn't come home drunk every night!" Mrs. O'Brien yelled at her sons.

Sadie ate silently, knowing that it was best not to get into it. Too many Irish tempers going off at one time was more than she could handle.

"Mom, we don't come home drunk!" Sean yelled.

"Sean, don't yell at your mother," Mr. O'Brien said in a warning tone.

"Well, I'm off!" Sadie said drinking the last of her coffee. She got up quickly, grabbed another piece of toast and ran out the door before her family really started to argue.

* * *

She made her way to the Distribution, where Poke was waiting for her, with papers in her arms. Unlike Mr. Weisel and the Delancy Brothers, Mr. Donnelly was always punctual. He was always there before the newsies, and they never had to wait too long to buy their papers. 

"Morning, Sadie!" Poke said cheerfully.

"Morning," Sadie said with a smile. She walked up to the barred window.

"How many papers?" Mr. Donnelly asked as Sadie took a paper and looked at the headlines.

"The usual," Sadie said, putting down forty cents. The headlines weren't spectacular, but she could improve them. After receiving her papers, she began to walk off.

"Hey, where you going?" Poke called, following her.

"The day is young, the papers are fresh!" Sadie said.

"But aren't you going to wait with me?" Poke asked, looking confused.

"Blink will be coming any minute. I wanna get a head start," Sadie said.

"No, I mean… don't you wanna wait for Swifty?" Poke said with a mischievous grin.

"Not particularly," Sadie said walking away.

"But you're his girl-- I mean, he's your guy," Poke said, correcting herself.

"See ya later," Sadie said walking off, without an explanation.

"But Sadie!" Poke called after her. She began to wonder why her friend was being so elusive, but then she heard the clamor of the newsies, and was distracted by her excitement of seeing Blink.

* * *

As Swifty walked toward Distribution, he saw Poke running towards Blink. He couldn't help but notice Skittery's forlorn and watchful eyes. 

_"Poor guy…"_ Swifty thought to himself as he scanned around for Sadie. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized she wasn't there. Today was going to be a good day.

He sold his papers with Skittery- who was still silently repressing his love for Poke. Swifty felt awkward. He didn't know how to comfort his friend, so he just continued to try to sell his papers.

Around noon, his stomach began to grumble.

"Um, Skittery?" Swifty said, speaking up.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it!" Skittery said moodily.

"No, I wasn't gonna mention Poke and Blink or anything," Swifty said insensitively.

Skittery glared daggers at his friend for mentioning their names.

"It's just that… it's past noon, and I'm… I'm hungry," Swifty said lamely.

Skittery sighed exasperatedly. "Then why didn't you say so in the first place?" he demanded.

"I--" Swifty tried to explain, but he didn't want Skittery to end up punching him again.

"Come on," Skittery said with a sigh.

The two headed for Tibby's. Right when they rounded the corner, to Swifty's chagrin, there stood Sadie at the entrance.

* * *

As much as Sadie didn't like that the other newsies thought she and Swifty were an item, she was not one to pass up a week's worth of free lunch. A deal was a deal. Sadie guessed correctly, sure that Swifty would not be heading to Pete's Tavern. She was certain that he'd to the predictable thing and head to Tibby's in order to avoid her. She didn't mind that he was so embarrassed that people thought they were together. She knew that it was just because he was immature. 

"Hey, there fellas," Sadie said casually.

Skittery grunted a "hey." Swifty, on the other hand began to over react.

"What are doing here?!" Swifty asked, sounding alarmed.

"I believe you owe me lunch," Sadie reminded him.

Swifty wondered if he could play stupid. Maybe then, Sadie would leave them alone. He watched her toss her wavy red hair, and thought about the Irish tempers he had encountered before. He decided to play it safe instead.

"I can't wait until this week is over," he mumbled, opening the door and walking in, not bothering to hold it open for either Skittery or Sadie.

* * *

After ordering, Swifty couldn't help but feel paranoid. 

"What's it going to look like when the other newsies come in and see all three of us sitting here?" Swifty asked worriedly.

"It'll look like we came in here to eat lunch together," Sadie answered.

"But they all think that Skittery's in love with you, what are you gonna say about that?" Swifty reminded her.

"Skittery, do you care what the others think?" Sadie asked.

Skittery shrugged. "I should have told her when I had the chance. That way, I wouldn't be here with you two squawking at each other."

"I'm not squawking!" Swifty squawked as Sadie rolled her eyes at him.


	5. Yesterday's News

_Author's Note: Alastair Barnwell is a character created by me._

**I Changed the Rules  
**By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter Five: Yesterday's News

"I'm telling you, Swifty, it doesn't matter. It's only a big deal if you make it one," Sadie said rationally.

"Can't we go to lunch someplace else?" Swifty said paranoid, as he noticed more newsies coming in.

"No one gives a damn, Swifty. It's all yesterday's news," Skittery said getting irritated.

Just then, Poke and Blink chose a table beside theirs.

"Hey guys!" Blink greeted them with a big smile.

"Glad to see you two together," Poke said to Sadie and Swifty. "You know, you really worried me this morning Sadie," she said to her friend.

Sadie forced a smile, then looked at Swifty. Swifty was watching Skittery who was looking longingly at Poke.

"I'm also glad to see that you're better," Poke said to Skittery as she gently rested her hand on top of his.

Swifty exchanged worried looks with Sadie.

"HEY! Um, I have to use the toilet! What about you, Skittery?" Swifty said suddenly getting up. It definitely helped to break the moment.

Skittery nodded, and got up, but both Sadie and Swifty saw the way he looked at Poke. Things would not be mended so easily.

* * *

"I should have told her. I should have told her!" Skittery said frustratedly to Swifty, while the two were in the lavatory. 

"We should probably go back out there. I mean, it really doesn't take this long to piss," Swifty said.

"I can't go back out there. Every time I look at her, I feel so…" Skittery couldn't describe it. "She's perfect, and I can't stand to see her with someone like Blink," he said.

Swifty didn't know what to say. At the moment, he preferred the silent, brooding Skittery, rather than the pining, lovesick Skittery.

"Well, they're probably wondering what's taking so long," Swifty said.

"I'm not gonna go back out there. Look, you have your lunch. I'll get lunch somewhere else and meet you back in Newsies Square," Skittery said. He began to open the bathroom window and crawl out.

Swifty watched his friend make a getaway, then closed the window, and headed back out.

"Where's Skittery?" Sadie asked.

"He left," Swifty answered, taking his seat.

"Huh, that's funny. I didn't even see him leave, though I can understand why," Sadie said, glancing over at Poke and Blink.

Swifty shrugged and glanced at Poke and Blink as well. They were holding hands and smiling at each other.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked Sadie.

"About what?" she asked.

"Skittery."

"I suppose the only thing you can do is be his friend. Give him some space and let him mourn. I remember my first heartbreak, and it was terrible. He just needs time," she advised.

"How old are you?" Swifty asked curiously.

"Fifteen."

"That's awfully young to have your heart broken," Swifty said.

"You can never be too young or too old to fall in love," Sadie said.

"I hope it never happens to me," Swifty said, shaking his head and thinking about Skittery.

"I don't think it's possible for a guy like you to fall in love," Sadie said, giving her honest opinion. She hoped it wouldn't hurt his feelings.

"I hope you're right," Swifty said unfazed by the comment.

After lunch, Sadie and Swifty parted ways. It surprised Swifty that he was a little sad to part. Even though she could be bossy and pushy, he was beginning to see her as a friend, and she was much better company than the unpredictable Skittery. It didn't even bother him when he saw Chatterbox, Jules, and Blondie giggling and whispering at a booth near their table. For a moment, Swifty stopped being paranoid and self-conscious. After all, _being_ in love was much worse than people _thinking_ you were in love.

* * *

It was evening when Sadie had sold her last paper. As she made her way home, she thought about the events that had transpired within the past few days. Poke and Blink had suddenly become a pair, she and Swifty had somehow become paired together, and Skittery was broken hearted because of unrequited love. She thought about her first love, Alastair Barnwell, but then shook her head. She would not allow herself to think of him any longer; he was yesterday's news. 


	6. What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

**I Changed the Rules  
**By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter Six: What Becomes of the Brokenhearted

It was November in the year 1897. Sadie had just turned thirteen, and there was a big gathering at the O'Brien's--but it was not for her birthday. The Irish tenants were welcoming a newly immigrated family into the complex, and naturally, since the O'Brien's had been in America for the longest and had the biggest living space, they were the hosts. Unlike her four older brothers, Sadie was American born. No test to take, no accent to try to hide. She could have passed for an American girl if it weren't for her fiery red hair.

"Everyone grab a glass!" Mrs. O'Brien called out to all the guests.

"A toast to the Barnwells! May all of their hopes and dreams come true, and may their children and children's children make this their country!" Mr. O'Brien said loudly, raising up his glass, and patting Mr. Barnwell on the back. Both men were red faced from all the spirits they had had previously.

Sadie observed the Barnwell Family as she drank her ale. Mr. Barnwell looked very much like her father- handsome and rugged, with thick hair and beard, sturdy and well built for labor. The only difference was that he had very dark hair in contrast to her father's bright orange locks. Mrs. Barnwell was tall and thin, she had tremendous overbite and frizzy brown hair; she looked comical standing next to her own beautiful mother who was curvaceous and petite. The Barnwells had two children- a daughter and a son.

Sadie couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the Barnwell family. Tragically, their daughter, Myra, had the likeness of her father and mother. She was 18, between the age of her two older brothers Seamus-19, and Shane-17. A solid sturdy girl like her father, she had large teeth that stuck over her bottom lip, and frizzy hair like her mother.

The son was 16- around the age of her brothers Sean-16, and Samuel-15, and he was anything but tragic. In fact, as soon as Sadie saw him, she was instantly attracted. Where Myra seemed to have all of the bad traits of her parents, Alastair Barnwell had all the good. Like his mother, he was tall and slim, and he had dark hair and cobalt blue eyes like his father. It was hard to not become attracted by his handsomeness.

The entire night, Sadie watched his every move, from a safe distance. The only boys she had ever been around were her brothers, and their wild behavior was nothing like the seemingly gentle nature of Alastair's. She was entranced by his beauty, enticed by his elegance, and she was finding herself falling into infatuation with him, even without knowing him.

"Sadie, m'girl, where are you? Come on out of hiding, and say goodnight to the Barnwells!" her father called. Many of the guests had already left, and Sadie was still clandestinely watching Alastair.

She timidly walked toward the door, where the Barnwells and her family were gathered.

"That were a lively welcome you gave us! We'll have to have you over for dinner soon! How's tomorrow nigh' sound?" Mr. Barnwell said cheerfully to her father.

"O' course!" Her father accepted.

Sadie was spying glances at Alastair. As soon as she entertained the prospect of sitting at the same table as him, everything else became fuzzy- her parents conversation became soundless, and all she could hear was the rapid beat of her heart. She spied another glance at the object of her affection, to find that he was looking right at her. And in that one look, she felt as though cupid's arrow had pierced her heart. She held her chest and took a deep breath.

"Sadie!" her mother said, snapping her back into reality. "Aren't you going to answer Mrs. Barnwell's question?"

"Um…" Sadie was at a loss of words. It seemed as though everyone were looking at her, and she had heard nothing.

"Ah, wee thing, she probably had a little too much to drink!" Mrs. Barnwell laughed, and it seemed that everyone else began laughing as well.

Sadie turned red. It wasn't the alcohol that made her drunk; it was love.

* * *

"Sadie's rather quiet tonight, don't you agree, boys?" Shane asked out loud as their family was getting ready to go to the Barnwells' for dinner. 

"Could it be that she's taken to the girly little Barnwell boy?" Sean asked teasingly.

"And what if I am?" Sadie said defensively.

"That Barnwell boy is skinny as a stick. I'm twice his size and a full year younger than him!" Samuel laughed.

"Your head is certainly twice as thick!" Sadie said sticking out her tongue at her brother.

"Aren't you a bit young to be thinkin' about boys an' all?" Seamus asked. He was always a bit protective.

"Juliet was 13 when she fell in love with Romeo," Sadie countered.

"You are no Juliet!" Sean said.

"Yeah, and you're forgetting that they died," Shane said giving Sadie a flick on her nose.

Sadie gave her brother a slap on the arm in turn.

"You fiery little b--" Shane was going to say a word that rhymed with "witch," but just then their mother walked in.

"What's all this bickering, I hear? You boys aren't even out of your work clothes! Sadie's the only one who's ready! Go on, now, get dressed and cleaned. And do it quickly! Come on, Sadie, come help me with the potatoes," Mrs. O'Brien commanded.

"How's it that such a little woman like mum have such a big voice?" Sadie heard Samuel ask as she left the room with her mother.

* * *

Sadie nervously twisted a strand of her hair around her finger and watched as her finger began to turn blue. The O'Briens were standing at the door as Mr. and Mrs. Barnwell greeted them and invited them inside. 

Dinner was a blur, and for the most part Sadie paid no attention to the conversation, and willed herself not to stare at Alastair, but then, the conversation got interesting.

"Seamus, son, are you courtin' any young ladies?" Mr. Barnwell asked curiously looking over at Myra; she began to blush and look down at her plate.

"Aye, Seamus is already engaged and Shane is courting," Mr. O'Brien answered for them.

Sean and Samuel began giggling, and Mrs. O'Brien gave them a warning glare.

Mr. Barnwell sighed. "We've been trying to find a right good husband for our Myra, but there aren't as many suitors as we thought there might be."

"It's lucky for us then that Sadie's not the marrying age or we'd be running into the same problem," Mrs. O'Brien laughed.

"No, Sadie's quite lovely. She wouldn't have that kind of problem," Alastair said speaking up. The comment shocked everyone at the table. Mr. and Mrs. Barnwell were incensed. Myra was beat red with embarrassment.

Sadie looked at Alastair, who was looking at her. She broke his gaze, then turned an apologetic look to Myra, but it was obvious that Myra too was upset with the comment.

"Uh, you know, Shane and I have some friends, who would gladly take out Myra…" Seamus said trying to mend the situation.

"We do? Oh, I mean, we do, yes… of course, there's Ronan- he's quite available!" Shane said.

"And there's Kevan- he's been looking for a good girl," Seamus said.

"Why, my boys would be thrilled to take Myra to a dance to meet some of the finest young gentlemen," Mr. O'Brien said.

"Yes. That would be good for our Myra," Mrs. Barnwell said quietly. Mr. Barnwell was still looking angrily at his son- who didn't seem to notice that anything had gone awry.

"May I be excused? I am not feeling well," Myra said, looking a bit green.

"Yes, of course." Mr. Barnwell said through gritted teeth. Myra got up quickly and seemed to run to her room.

The dinner ended shortly after that, and Mr. O'Brien made up some excuse to why they couldn't stay any longer.

"What a horrible boy to say that about his sister!" Mrs. O'Brien exclaimed as soon as they entered the home. "If you boys were ever to publicly humiliate one another in company… oh, I don't know what I'd do, but it certainly wouldn't be good!"

Sadie knew that what he had said had been cruel to his sister, and yet, he had been very kind to her. She couldn't help but feel intrigued by this beautiful boy who thought she was "quite lovely."

* * *

Almost a month had passed since the dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Barnwell came over often, and from time to time she would see Myra, since her brothers volunteered themselves to find her a suitor, the only person missing was Alastair. Sadie worried that he had been punished badly for what he had said. When she asked her mother about it, her mother got very huffy about it, so she stopped asking. 

But one day while Sadie was selling her papers, she finally saw him; rather, he saw her.

"Extra! Extra!" Sadie called out as she waved a newspaper up in the air. Someone from behind her snatched the paper from her hand, and she whirled around, ready for a fight. Instead, she was met by the cobalt blue eyes of Alastair Barnwell.

"Alastair!" she cried.

"Surprised?" he asked.

Sadie nodded.

"So, you sell newspapers. Not a typical girly-job," he commented.

"I'm not a typical girl," she answered.

"I can see that. So… are you terribly busy?" he asked.

"Why?" she asked.

"If you aren't too busy, I'd like you to show me around the city," he said with a shrug.

Sadie dropped all of her papers-- perhaps too eagerly. While showing him around, he took her hand, and that was all she needed in order to know that they were a couple. Oh, was she was smitten.

He was her first love, and at first, their actions were innocent. She received her first kiss, and little kisses became passionate, open-mouthed kisses. That led to groping, and as their relationship progressed, he began to desire for more of her. What began as innocent and tender, Sadie found it changing into a relationship where she was left feeling pressured and used.

All of their meetings, she kept secret from her parents. She knew that they weren't too fond of Alastair, and she certainly wasn't going to tell them about any of their "romantic" encounters, especially since they still considered her a child. Their physical relationship continued to surmount for eight months until Sadie just couldn't go any further.

Under a dock, far from public view, Alastair was shirtless, his hands were groping, his mouth sloppily kissing her neck. Sadie could feel that he was getting excited.

"Sadie, I've been waiting for you to be ready for eight months, it's about time you gave me _something_," Alastair seemed to beg.

Everytime they were under the docks, Alastair would say this, and every time, she just could not do it. The timing and the place were wrong. Sadie loved him with all of her heart, but she still felt that she wasn't ready to grow up all the way just yet.

"I… I just can't," she said, removing his hands from her body and pulling away to re-button her blouse.

"What is it, now?" Alastair asked annoyed.

"Alastair, do you really love me?" she asked breathlessly.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, I do! But you obviously don't feel the same way!" he answered frustratedly.

"I do!" Sadie said.

"Then show me," Alastair said.

"I'm not ready for _that_," Sadie said defensively.

"Then you don't love me," Alastair said angrily as he began putting his shirt back on. He walked away from her as he pulled his suspenders back on.

"There are other ways of loving- not just, _you know_," Sadie tried to argue, as Alastair shook his head.

"That's no good to me. It's all or nothing," he said as he began to leave her.

"Alastair, do you want to marry me? Do you want to be my husband? Be a good father? Take care of our children?" she asked.

"Sadie, we're too goddamn young for any of that!" Alastair said turning back around.

"Well, if we're too young for _that_, then maybe we're too young for _this_ too," Sadie said.

"Not 'we.' You. Maybe you're too young. Too young for this, and too young for me," Alastair said coldly as he turned and walked away.

Sadie went after him, but he refused to turn around. Each time she would try to grab hold of him, he would push her away. So she was left alone.

* * *

For a month, Sadie didn't see or hear from Alastair. Her parents and brothers noticed a difference, but she couldn't find a way to tell them all that had happened, so she kept it all bottled up. 

Everyday, after selling her papers, she would go to the docks to see if he was there, until one day, she finally saw him. He was there, under the docks, with another girl; their bodies were entwined and Alastair was clearly getting his "all" from someone else. She couldn't bear to watch it.

At that very moment, if you had listened very carefully, you would have been able to hear Sadie's heart shattering into a million pieces. As she ran back to her home, she wailed like a child, her fat, messy tears streaming down her face. As she finally made it home, she collapsed on her bed, wishing that the Barnwells had never had a son, wishing she could have seen Alastair's cruelty from the beginning, wishing that she had told her mother about those eight months of torture and bliss.

She cried for weeks on end, and her family couldn't quite understand why, but they knew it had something to do with a boy. Her father and brothers wanted to avenge her pain, but she couldn't seem to tell them about it. Slowly, but surely, sadder, but wiser, Sadie was able to gather her heart back together. She realized that she had fallen in love, but unfortunately, love fell out with her. She made a promise to herself that she would never be such a fool, she wouldn't be so reckless, and that she would change the rules of "being in love".


	7. I Changed the Rules

**I Changed the Rules**

By: Stubby the Newsgirl

Chapter Seven: I Changed the Rules

As the newsies left the lodging house to buy their papers, Swifty was relieved that no one mentioned his "love life." All of the newsgirls who had been in his business were now gossiping about someone new. The only thing that hadn't changed was the rain cloud that seemed to hang over Skittery's head.

"You okay?" Swifty asked his friend.

Skittery gave him a look that said, _"My heart was trampled on, how do you think I feel?"_

"Why don't you go for some other girl? Blondie, maybe? Or Jules? They're okay girls," Swifty said.

"If you like 'em so much, why don't you go after them?" Skittery asked.

"Nah, I decided that love is not for me- especially with all the crap you've been through," Swifty said.

"Gee, thanks, that makes me feel so much better," Skittery said sarcastically.

"Sorry, you know what I mean," Swifty said.

"Morning Swifty. Morning, Skittery…" Their converation was interrupted by Poke, who was hanging off of Blink's arm.

Skittery's face fell, and Swifty was like a deer in headlights.

"Hey, where did you go the other day when we were having lunch at Tibby's? You seemed to have a dissappearing act," Blink asked.

"Three's a crowd," Skittery muttered, and then walked away from the couple. Poke and Blink looked surprised as they watched him walk away.

"Now what was that about?" Poke asked, a little hurt.

"Uhhh… bad mood, you know… after everything and all," Swifty said. "Look, I better catch up with him," he said darting quickly after Skittery.

"Extry, extry!" Sadie called. She'd gone to the distribution earlier to spare Swifty the embarrassment of people thinking that they were a couple. There was a downside to that-she wasn't selling as much as the day when she sold with Swifty. She thought about cutting a deal with Swifty and becoming selling partners. She doubted that he would go for the idea, especially since he was so insecure about the other newsies thinking they were an item.

She laughed. Swifty seemed to have a sort of boy-ish innocence about him. She couldn't imagine him with any girl, especially not herself, and she wondered why all the newsies were so quick to think they were an item. Couldn't they see how ridiculous a couple she and Swifty made?

As she continued selling, she began to sense that it was lunchtime, so over to Tibby's she headed, but what she didn't know was that a surprise was waiting for her. Sadie reached for the door of the restaurant to pull it open, and just as she did, a person on the other side of the door was pushing it. She ended up falling backwards and spilling all of her papers.

"Christ! Look what you made me do!" she cried in frustration as she gathered her papers off of the pavement.

"Sadie? Is that you?" It was an Irish accented voice that she recognized immediately.

She looked up to see the colbalt blue eyes of Alastair Barnwell. She could pretend like she was someone else. "_I'm sorry, but my name's not Sadie,_" she could easily say, yet her heart was caught in her throat, and it was pounding. He was still handsome, still charming. She refocused. Alastair had curvaceous blonde girl a little older than her hanging off of his arm.

_"Wake up, Sadie. Think of something clever,"_ she told herself.

"You must be mistaking me for someone else," Sadie managed to croak out, then picked up the last of her papers off the ground. Not very clever or graceful, but she was trying her best to keep her cool.

"Alastair, what are we stopped here for?" the blonde asked.

"It is you, Sadie. I'd know ye from anywhere," Alastair said.

"I'm sorry, you're mistaken. My name is... Jules," Sadie said. It was the first girl name that popped into her head. Jules was a newsgirl who lived at the lodging house.

"Well, Miss Jules, ye look like a girl I once knew named Sadie. Since I'm standing here, can I buy a paper from you?" Alastair asked, taking one of the papers from her hand. His eyes bore right into hers.

"Um, sure, it's a nickel," she lied, trying to break from his eyes. Sadie didn't want to sell to him.

"Ye mean a penny, don't you?" Alastair said.

"It's a nickel," she said firmly, hoping this would make her point clear.

"I suppose I have a nickel to spare," he said, reaching in his pocket.

"Alastair, that newsgirl is ripping you off," said the blonde on his arm.

"Here ye go. One nickel for the paper. Thank ye, Miss Sadie," he said, shooting Sadie a dashing smile.

"Yeah, whatever," Sadie said, pocketing the nickel.

Alastair gave her a wink.

Sadie was about to melt, right then and there. She felt the flames of her first love consuming her again. Then, she remembered the betrayal and how quickly he left her. She glanced a look at the blonde girl he was with- she was different from the girl he had left her for. She remembered all of his tenderness and cruelty. She didn't know whether to embrace him or slap him.

"Sadie! You gotta help me out!" a voice called out before she could sort out all her emotions. Sadie broke from the hypnotizing effect of Alastair, and met with the kind, boyish brown eyes of Swifty. She was never more grateful to see him than now.

"Oh, so your name is Sadie. I knew it was you. Why did you lie?" he asked, grabbing her hand. She wrenched her hand out of his.

"Swifty!" she exclaimed running to her friend. She wrapped her arms around him into a warm embrace, and gave him a kiss on the lips. She and Swifty looked at each other in surprise.

"Uh, what was that about?" Swifty asked, still unsure of what happened. He looked down at the firey girl. Sadie didn't know what to say at first, because it had surprised her too.

"I'm just... really glad to see you," Sadie admitted.

"You kissed me," Swifty said, dumbfounded.

"Um, yeah... I guess I did," Sadie said, wondering why she did it.

"You kissed me on the lips," Swifty said, even more dumbfounded.

Before she could answer him, Alastair began walking towards them. "Sadie, love, are you just going to ignore me?" he asked.

Sadie looked at Alastair, then she looked at Swifty.

The two young men were so different. Swifty could never be a snake. He was her friend, and despite their disagreements, he was good. The look of confusion was still on his face, while Alastair's face had cruelty written all over it. She was grateful for her friend, and took comfort in his presence. Before she realized what she was doing, Sadie pulled her friend close to her and kissed him full mouthed. He began to wrap his arms around her, and when she drew away from him, she was seeing stars.

Alastair understood that he had no more claim to the girl who had once loved him.

"You can keep the paper, Alastair. Just consider it a gift from a friend," Sadie said as she watched the effect it had on the man who broke her heart.

"T'anks, Sadie, if you ever... well, I'd... we'd best be goin' now," Alastair stammered, clearly embarrassed. He began to walk away with the girl on his arm. As he walked past them, he seemed to be sizing Swifty up. Sadie didn't even notice. She was looking up at Swifty to gauge his reaction.

As soon as they were a far distance away, Swifty turned to Sadie.

"What the hell was that?" Swifty asked, confused by the kiss, and also confused because he was really turned on by it. He didn't know what to do.

Sadie wondered if Swifty had felt any of the sparks that she did. Maybe he didn't, and he was angry with her. Was she in love with Swifty? He was her good friend. He didn't make her heart burst every time she saw him, but he was kind and loyal. He was trustworthy, and when she kissed him, she was sure that she loved him, even though she had promised herself that she would never love again. She began to sob loudly.

"I jus want... my heart ... but ... you... and I... don't... good... love... and..." She tried to explain as she wept.

"I don't understand a damn thing you're saying," Swifty said, wanting to help, but not knowing how.

Sadie collapsed into him and held on to him as she sobbed. It was as if she were drowning and holding on to him for dear life.

Swifty held her and let her cry because he didn't know what else to do. He was so conflicted. He thought that Sadie was the last girl he'd ever want to be with, but his lips were still burning with desire. She bossed him around and slammed doors in his face. She was fiercely independent and unlike other girls. His heart was pounding, and he felt intoxicated. He wanted her to kiss him again. And again. And again.

"It's going to be okay," he said. Strangely, he wasn't embarrassed of having a girl in his arms, even with people passing.

"Swifty?" Sadie said feebly.

"Yeah?" Swifty asked still confused, but his arms were around her and he could feel the warmth of her body against his own. He didn't want to let her go.

"I don't know what to say," Sadie said as she looked up at him.

"Neither do I," he admitted. He looked down at her, wanting to kiss her deeply, but unsure of how to maneuver it. He smiled at her, unsure if she would smile back.

Sadie wanted Swifty to kiss her again. His arms were already around her, why was he just giving her a dopey grin? Well, if she wanted something to get done, she had to do it herself. She was told that girls should never initiate, but she was changing the rules.

Sadie wrapped her arms around Swifty's neck, and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He didn't mind at all.

_You feel the heat right by my side  
Stay close, I'll take you for a ride  
Stimulating  
Really intoxicating  
Baby, I changed the rules_

**THE END.**

* * *

_Author's note: This is not the end of the story with Skittery. Don't worry, there are more stories to come!_


End file.
